June Headline of the Month, One Day Left

There is only one day left for entries to this month's edition of a newly-launched competition to recognise the best headlines in the Scottish media.

Headline of the Month, launched this month, is a throwback to a similar competition that used to run in the trade mag, Press Gazette. Now, like then, a prize goes to both the author of the headline and the person who has nominated it. This time, it's bottles of Whyte & Mackay Special whisky that are up for grabs, with the monthly winners entered in a Headline of the Year competition where two bottles, each worth £150, of Whyte & Mackay 30 year-old are the prizes.

So far, there are seven contenders.

1. She was ‘sporting a new look’ said the Scottish Sun on June 2, as it reported the release, from prison, of the notorious ‘crime queen’, Mags Haney. With an accompanying photograph showing Haney with dyed red hair and a red handbag, the headline – penned by deputy editor, Paul McLaren – ran: ‘Handbags & Glad Mags’. Nominated by allmediascotland.com

2. Simple Minds’ singer, Jim Kerr, is a big fan of Celtic FC. And he was reported in the Daily Record, at the start of the month, saying that the club should appoint Motherwell boss, Mark McGhee, as its new manager. Under the headline: Don’t You Forget About McGhee – dreamed up by sportswriter, David McCarthy. Nominated by allmediascotland.com

3. It was being suspected earlier in the month that the death of actor David Carradine – probably best known for his appearances in the Kung Fu TV series during the 1970s and the Kill Bill films of this decade – was because of autoerotic asphyxiation……..thus prompting the Daily Record front page headline: 'Kinky Thrill Kills Bill'. It was penned by executive editor, Bob Caldwell, and nominated by Business7 reporter, Scott McCulloch.

4. The June 16 edition of the Edinburgh Evening News reported the police blocking a planned 24-hour Starbucks………thus prompting the headline: ‘Police Say No to Latte-night Coffee’. It was penned by chief sub-editor, Mark Campanile, and nominated by Evening News editor, Tom Little.

5. Labour MP and minister, Kitty Ussher, was one of many at Westminster to have her housing affairs caught up in the MPs’ expenses scandal. And The Scotsman told her tale under the headline: ‘Fall of the house of Ussher as she quits to save embarrassment’. It was the idea of reporter, Craig Brown, and nominated by Scotsman sub-editor, Martin Gray.

6. The BBC website on June 19 carried a tale about metal being stolen from a new police station in West Lothian…… thus prompting the headline: ‘Copper Stolen from Police Station’. It was penned by Angie Brown, in BBC Scotland's Edinburgh newsroom. And it had four separate nominators: The Sunday Times Scotland deputy picture editor, Henrik Brandt; freelance business writer, Colin Calder; European/Scottish Parliament reporter, Udo Seiwert-Fauti; and reader, Razwana Mirza.

7. The Herald newspaper on June 18 carried a review of Glasgow restaurant, Velvet Elvis, with the headline…….‘Love Meat Tender at the Elvis Grill’. It was penned by sub-editor, Jim Bruce, and nominated by PR consultant, Mike Ritchie.

So far: no nominations for headlines from Scotland's local newspapers nor its magazines.